Abaco Adventure 2013

6/12 Wed

At 1 PM the rain cleared and I drove to the boat with the last load of spare gas, cloths and personal items. At 3 PM I drove the car back home and walked to the boat. At 5 PM Camille dropped by with bags, swim fins, a beach umbrella, a bottle of Champaign and Eggplant Parmesan for our dinner. The crew, Jim and Holly, were late but we finally had everything loaded and left the dock around 7 PM and passed the Ft Lauderdale sea buoy at 8:30.

1 Leaving the dock

2 Historic 11 Ave swing bridge

We set 3 watches of 3 hours each. The winds were light and not much help but at 3 AM we set the sails and they did help a bit. There were lots of stars and lots of freighters. The AIS was a great help in figuring out which ship was going where.

3 The biggest boat has the right of way

4 Sunset at Port Everglades

6/13 Thursday

At 9 AM we entered the banks just south of Memory rock. The new heading to Great Sale Cay gave us a better wind angle and we were soon sailing at 6.5 – 7 Kt. We saw 2 small runabouts and 2 sailboats headed east. The day was cloudy with rain in the distance and one thunderstorm north of us that fortunately kept its distance.

Had chicken wraps and my first beer of the voyage for lunch at 1 PM. We could see a few thunder clouds but they moved off without getting close. The wind turned light and variable and we had to motorsail. Three other sailboats appeared behind us headed in the same direction.

At 4 PM the SE breeze filled in and we began sailing again and anchored at Great Sale Cay with 2 other motor boats and 2 sail boats at 7 PM. We had hors’doeurves, drinks and then went for a swim. Holly can’t find her swimsuits, apparently that bag got left behind. It feels good to take a shower after more than 24 hours of sailing. Jim fixes stir fry for dinner. We are missing a strainer and garlic but the meal is just fine. The sunset is nice and there is a good breeze to keep the mosquitos away and keep it from getting too warm at night. We have a quiet night with no bugs, wind SE at 6 Kt and cloudy.

6/14 Fri

We raised the main sail and then hauled up the anchor at 8:30. The other boats in the anchorage followed soon after. The wind was from the south and a thunderstorm was headed towards us. We had to go north past Great Sale Cay before turning east and we watched the storm get closer and closer as we sailed north, down wind. The other boats motored past us but as the storm got closer the wind increased and we went from 4 Kt to 8 Kt and almost caught up to them. We managed to turn the corner and head east before the storm reached us and we watched it pass behind us. We followed the other boats for an hour with moderate winds, then the wind increased and we pulled ahead. As we passed them the first boat turned into the wind and raised his main. It must be a race!

5 A storm is chasing us

6 It must be a race !

I wanted to anchor at Crab Cay but with all the rain and lightning around, Allans-Pensacola looked like a better and easier destination. As we passed Foxtown, I turned on my phone. At first it said ‘no network’, later is would dial my home number and a half hour later it would dial Ft Myers so I could let everyone know we had arrived safely. There were 4 other boats in the anchorage when we arrived. We had appetizers, drinks, swam and showered. Almost like we are getting in a rut. The skies cleared with no rain and just a few clouds. At 7 PM the phone had a few bars. I could contact Mike but not Mom.

Had chicken with beans and rice, and a nice salad for dinner. It was another quiet night. Jim heard a few mosquitos but I did not. There was some distant rumbling.

7 Jim cooks

8 Holly washes up

6/15 Sat

We heard on the radio that Customs was open Saturday at Spanish Cay so we decided to clear there rather than wait until Monday. There was a light rain in the morning so we waited it out and pulled the anchor at 9:15. It was cloudy with light winds so we motorsailed SE and reached Spanish Cay at 11. The marina charges $50 if you don’t stay overnight. The island is private and other than customs, gift shop and a restaurant there are no facilities for transients. Customs was handled outside on the veranda and there was almost no breeze, it was very hot as I tried to keep the forms from getting soaked in sweat. We had lunch of conch burger and run drinks and I bought a Barefoot CD and a beer coozie. They did not have a swimsuit for Holly. We got more ice, cabbage and tomatoes and departed at 1:30 for Crab Cay. The wind was north at 5 Kt so we motor sailed and had the place almost all to ourselves. At 2:30 we found a nice deserted anchorage and had a siesta.

9 Boat on the rocks	10 Spanish Cay Marina
11 Spanish Cay bar	12 Barefoot was here

At 5 PM we repacked the main sail and put the dingy together and tried out the new dingy boarding ladder that the Bimini crew had bought. It makes it somewhat easier to get back in the dingy than the rope we were using. I took a tour around the harbor then swam for a while. We had cabbage Caesar salad and chicken and noodles with tomato sauce. It looks like a quiet night in a great anchorage. I called Mom and Rita and left messages. Both called back. It’s good to know that the phone works way out here. We discuss staying here tomorrow and exploring the island and having a picnic.

6/16 Sunday

We slept late and started the expedition to explore the low lying rocks at 10 AM. Holly saw a sea turtle and I got some good fish pictures. The stainless clip that holds one of my swim fins corroded and broke but the fin would stay on by friction. In the evening I sewed the strap on. Most of the fish were small but a group of 3 eating sized fish swam by.

For lunch Jim had the leftover spaghetti and Holly and I had roast beef wraps. Then siesta time and snacks of salsa and chips at 5. I cleaned the solar panels to get maximum output. With all the clouds around we were still topping off the battery each day.

Dinner was mash potatoes, strip steak and peas, sort of Shepard’s Pie and was consumed completely with great relish. A sailboat and a power cat joined us in the anchorage. This place is going downhill. I emptied the two 5 gallon emergency water jugs in the main tank. The water level is 9/12

6/17 Monday

Another quiet night with a nice breeze and we slept late. It dropped once during the night and Jim and Holly reported mosquitoes but I did not hear any. They are better than a citronella candle to attract them away from me.

At 9 AM we raised the main and sailed out of the anchorage and around Crab Cay with a 10-15 Kt SE wind. We tacked down to Powell Cay and had a nice sale at 5-6 Kt. A motor yacht left just as we dropped anchor so we had the place to ourselves. We had lunch, Jim ate his leftover spaghetti again and then a siesta. At 3 PM we launched the dingy and explored the island. At the first beach we could not find the path to the top of the island mentioned in the guide book so we dingied around to the next beach and found a sign to the path and some other camp grounds and abandoned foundations. The path was a bit overgrown but the view was great.

Jim made a shrimp and rice paella dish. 2 power boats and one sailboat joined us at the anchorage. The sky is clearing and the wind is steady 10 Kt SE so it looks like a good night. A few horseflies joined us so we put in the screens and had a pleasant night. This was the only time we used the screens.

6/18 Tuesday

At 8 AM the wind was 15 Kt from the south so we motored to the north anchorage at Manjack Cay. It was too rough to go out to the reef but the anchorage was well protected and very beautiful. We took the dingy in to the beach and walked around to the next anchorage which is not as well protected and found a pier, campground, picnic tables and swings made of discarded fish nets and driftwood. After testing out the swings, we took the marked trail across to the ocean side which has a new gazebo and a nice beach. E continued in a circle back to the original beach and found more marked trails and a sign for the nature trail which was more nature than trail. We swam from the beach for a while. A number of small outboards anchored off the beach for a party.

Then it was back to the boat in the dingy for lunch and siesta. At 3:30 the wind shifted and a line of rain clouds moved over. Most of the small boats left and it rained steadily until 5:30. We collected 20 gallons in a bucket from rain that ran off the canvas and washed and rinsed cloths.

At 6:30 there are 3 power boats and 1 sailboat in the anchorage. It is raining to the south but it looks like it will miss us. Holly is cooking steak and noodles with mixed vegetables. She misreads the measuring cup, the top mark is 1.25 cups, not 1 cup so the noodles come out a bit soupy. She has a meltdown and swears never to cook again even though we find nothing wrong with the dinner and it is consumed with gusto like every meal so far.

6/19 Wednesday

The water tank is half full. We could hear a bit of the cruisers net. We motored to Green Turtle Cay and entered Black Sound at dead low tide. We did not touch but the depth sounder made it look close. The chart plotter was accurate as to the location of the deepest water. The only marina with dock space was Leeward Yacht Club and we got a space on the face dock. We picked up ice and started walking into town but did not realize how far it was. We got a lift from a local lady in a cart and had lunch at the “Wreckers Tree” and then walked around town checking out the stores. We visited the museum, bought copies of the 2 Cottman books and meet another cruising couple. We rented a golf cart for 25 hours, $55, and took a ride to White Sound and the Green Turtle Club. Holly could not find a swim suit there either and then we found that our cart was missing. Someone else had taken it by mistake, all the keys are the same. After 45 minutes the guy we rented it from managed to find our cart and send it back.

We drove to Bluff House but the beach bar was closed. The road is very steep and the cart brakes were not very good but we made it back alive. White sound is mostly fishing boats with a few sailboats. Someone was cleaning a 40 Lb. dolphin.

We returned to the Leeward Yacht Club, had drinks at the bar, the special drink was ‘Abaco Vice’, a combination of frozen orange and green rum drinks. We used the pool and the shower facilities which were judged 4 out of 5.

We took the cart in to town for dinner and walked around looking over the choices. One place on the water was not recommended. We asked a local out walking his dog and he recommended ‘Harry’s’ which was a small family run restaurant. There was only one other table occupied. We ordered grouper and mahi-mahi done different ways and the food was excellent. Then we drove to Miss Emma’s for Goombay Smash. This is across from a public park where the locals were playing volleyball with lots of kids running around. Someone mentioned that the local group ‘Gully Roosters’ was playing at the Green Turtle Club so we cranked up the cart and headed over. It was a very good group playing island songs, rake & scrape, cowbells and also classic songs. We had a few rounds of drinks and meet some of the people Holly had raced with from the Hillsboro Club. Our cart was not stolen this time so we went back to the Leeward Yacht Club which was quiet, no action at the bar or pool. We had a quiet night except that the dock light was shining on Jim’s bed so he erected a barrier with cushions and towels to block out the light.

6/20 Thursday

Another late start, a little hung over, there was no activity at 8 or 9. The office sign said it opened at 10:30. I washed, shaved and then arranged another day at the dock and picked up tokens for the wash machine. There is another Seawind 1000XL anchored in the harbor ‘Zephyrus’ but nobody is aboard. We had lunch at the boat and then went in to town for groceries. We asked all over for fresh fish but nobody had any except large restaurant packages. Back at the boat we packed everything away and made Goombay Smashes. The Gully Roosters played at the marina in the evening. We had dinner and listened to the band. We were a lot closer and it was less crowded than yesterday.

6/21 Friday

We filled the water tank, got more ice and I took the dingy over to the Other Shore Club which has a gas dock and filled up the spare gas cans. While there I noticed that the ‘Stranded Naked’ houseboat was docked there. We left the dock around 10 AM and motored through Whale Cay passage with a few other boats. We could use the jib for part of the trip but most of it was right into the wind.

There were quite a few boats already at Bakers Bay in Great Guana Cay but we worked our way inside at low tide to anchor in 4’ about as close to the Grabbers Resort beach as we could get. Holly made crab salad wraps for lunch and then we took the dingy in to the beach with our snorkel gear and walked to Nippers. We had a drink and then went to the beach for swimming and snorkeling. A dark rain cloud moved in so we hurried back to the boat and beat most of the rain. The rain washed the salt off and we collected rain water and did some cloths washing. Several more boats joined the anchorage, many Moorings cats and one power cat. Jim made chicken stir fry and we had a viewing of the pictures and videos of the last few days.

6/22 Saturday

The anchor alarm woke us up at 7 AM. It was just a wind shift but that was followed by rain until 8. The Dive Abaco boat came around in the rain to collect the fee for the boats at moorings. We listened to the Cruisers Net at 8:15 and heard that a dingy from one of the Moorings boats had gone ‘walkabout’ from the beach last night when the tide came in. We motored into the 15 Kt wind to Tahiti Beach. Lots of boats were anchored out and more small power boats were pulled up on the sand bank at low tide. We took the dingy to the sand bar and swam and took some pictures.

Then we raised the anchor and motored into Hope Town and grabbed a double blue mooring at 3:30. It was a gray overcast day with 15 Kt SE – E winds. There was lots of boat traffic in the harbor but also plenty of open moorings. At the Hope Town Marina we paid the mooring fee and got WIFI access, then we went to the public dock and walked around town and had dinner at the Harbors Edge. I bought a Guava Cake from a local roadside stand just as they were closing. As the sun set, we kept waiting for the lighthouse to turn on, we were worried for a while that the lighthouse keeper has overslept but finally the light came on and shortly after it started to revolve. We had a quiet, bug free night.

6/23 Sunday

It rained during the night. I got up to make sure the hatches were closed and went back to sleep. I thought the rain lasted for 5 minutes but Holly said it went on for hours. We had the Guava Cake for breakfast and it was very good. In the morning we visited the lighthouse and then went to the Hope Town Marina to swim in the pool, take showers and have lunch, cracked conch and rice and peas. After a siesta Holly and I went in to rent bicycles but the shop had just closed so we had a few Kaliks, walked around for a while and took some pictures. Then we went back to the Hope Town Marina for showers and to secure another night at the mooring.

This night is Steak Night aboard. We bought 3 nice frozen NY strip steaks in New Plymouth. We cut sweet potatoes in chunks, wrapped them in foil with butter and seasonings and cooked them on the BBQ. We watched the lighthouse start up and then the moon rise. I tried to use Google Skymap but there were only a few stars visible with the full moon. It was a quiet night with no rain and breezy.

6/24 Monday

After the cruisers net we took the trash to the collection site at the Abaco Inn and went shopping for beer, rum and food. We found some frozen fish filets, not local but looked good. Also cheese and noodles for a tuna dish and fresh vegies and ice.

We left the harbor at 10:30, put up the main and had a great sail, 7 Kt down Lubbers Channel and past Tilloo Cay. Then we motored up wind to Sandy Cay but it was too rough to anchor and try snorkeling so we kept going to Lynyard Cay. A group of small boats and a larger Bahamian fishing boat were at one of the beaches with tents, camping gear and a bonfire. We anchored at an adjacent beach for lunch, crab salad sandwiches, chips and beets and then a siesta. A couple of power boats joined us, one went shelling at low tide. They did not stay long. We took the dingy in to explore. The ocean was just over the dunes from the beach but it was rugged and rocky on the ocean side. There was lots of flotsam, fishing nets and plastic bits, I even found a tooth brush. There was a sign

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On top of the dunes a ways away but we could not make it out.. We collected some of the rope and plastic bits and added it to an existing driftwood sculpture on the beach, adding our artistic touch. There was also a bench made out of 2 log sections and a driftwood plank. I also found a 3”x3”x3’ driftwood plank to carve our initials in. Back at the boat, we swam for a while. Another sailboat joined the anchorage. Holly agreed/volunteered to cook the shrimp paella. I offered the Sazon Goya seasoning we had aboard. Holly was over her blowup on the previous Chicken Linguini dinner. The paella turned out very good and we finished all of it with red wine. We watched the stars and tried to compare them with Google Skymap and then watched the moon rise. There was some lightning in the far distance. A rain shower passed during the night which is typical for the last few nights.

6/25 Tuesday

It is still blowing quite a bit and lots of surf on the ocean reefs so it is too rough for snorkeling again. One of the local fishermen from the camp on the next beech came by asking for aspirin for someone with a headache. We had lots so we gave him a bottle. He is a local from Little Harbor and his family is having a vacation get together on the beach.

We motored all of 2 miles to reach Little Harbor at 10, just before hi tide. We had a choice of moorings and took one just behind another cat. We took the dingy in to the ‘Yacht Club’ dock. The Yacht Club building was empty and appears to be still under construction. We walked to the old lighthouse which is still standing but in very shaky shape. The cistern and kitchen are still standing but the outhouse cannot be seen in the overgrowth.

When we returned, the foundry was just opening and one of the workers explained the molds, lost wax process, pouring bronze, acid wash, painting and gave us a tour.

We had blasters at Pete’s Pub while a whole convoy of power boats docked for lunch. We had lunch back at the boat, chicken salad and mixed vegetables. After a siesta we explored the caves. The beach was very soft and we sank up to our knees in the muck. Then we took the dingy out to the north beach and snorkeled around the rocks. There were lots of fish and I got some good pictures. A 50’ cat replaced the small cat that was moored in front of us when we got back. We had rum drinks to celebrate our successful outing and for dinner we cooked hamburgers, mash potatoes and corn which was well received.

6/26 Wednesday

Holly and I went for a walk west of the village and took some pictures. There were more houses than I remember last time and some had for sale signs. For lunch Jim and I went to Pete’s Pub and had cracked conch, blasters and ‘Sands’ beer, a Bahamian brew and paid the mooring fee which I forgot to do yesterday.

We left the mooring and had a great sail to Tilloo Cay at 7 Kt and anchored in 5’ behind the sand bar with one large power yacht. We had a siesta and then swam. I played with the wind scoop which still needs some adjusting but with the constant breeze it is not really necessary. Also the starboard engine pulley that raises the engine is twisted and binding. We straightened it out and untwisted the line. Hope that solves the problem.

Jim marinated the fish filets we got at Hope Town for dinner. After dinner Holly took a tumble from the side deck through the canvas cover to the deck at the steering station and bruised her shoulder. Nothing appears to be broke.

In the night the tide changed and the bridle came off. The chain moving over the ground kept waking me up with a loud rumbling sound so in the middle of the night I put on the captive bridle.

6/27 Thursday

I decided to sail out of the anchorage. We raised the main and then slowly pulled up the anchor. It came up wrapped in chain like a Christmas present. It must have wrapped around when the time changed. We had to get a second line on the anchor to support the weight before we could unwrap the chain. Fortunately there was plenty of room to drift while we got the anchor under control.

The sail to Marsh Harbour was mostly down wind and slow and we anchored near the Conch Inn at 1 PM. We went ashore for drinks and got a slip reservation for tomorrow and a bag of ice. In the afternoon we walked around town and got an idea of where everything was and had drinks at Rum Runners Bar. At 6:30 we went to Mango’s for dinner. Afterward we heard music next door at Snappa’s. The musician was just finishing at 8 PM, ‘Brown Tip Matheson Cooper, we saw his advertisement in the cruising guide. He said he would be performing at Boat Harbor tomorrow. We had a quiet night with less wind than usual.

6/28 Friday

After breakfast we cleaned the cabins. Jim volunteered for the head duty and we took inventory of the remaining supplies so we would know what to shop for. We put away all the stuff that had accumulated over the last 2 weeks.

We took the dingy in and arranged 2 days at the dock because the girls were arriving late, not at noon as I had thought. We walked to the Cottman castle, had to get directions from the locals and once there got more directions to the original winding road back from the castle. Unfortunately it is closed and for sale, not a restaurant any more. We continued to the Boat Harbour and checked out the marina and bar. We had a round and then some clouds and thunder convinced us to stay for another round.

We returned to the boat and waited out some rain clouds and thunder storms and then took the boat to the Conch Inn docks. The dock master was going to put us in an inside slip which looked a little narrow but I measured it and it looked like it would fit. On the way in he changed us to a larger outside dock which was much easier to get in and out of.

We were checking out the pool when Cathy and Rita walked in. After putting the luggage way, I swam in the pool, showered and went to “Curly Tails” bar for drinks and appetizers. Everyone was there except Holly. We waited for a while, then checked the pool and showers but could not find her. Finally I walked back to the boat and there she was. She did not have the key to get in the boat and the dock was too high to get back out of the boat with here injured shoulder.

We finally got all together then Jim spent 45 minutes trying to confirm his flight reservation on the free office computer. We went to Wally’s for an excellent dinner and wine. We went to Snappa’s and listened to the band for a while and I had a ‘Mind Snappa’ drink. We returned to the boat and could still hear the music from Snappa’s just fine. Quiet night.

6/29 Saturday

At breakfast we discussed the menu and the shopping trip. The water started to run out so I put a bit in the tank and then Cathy, Rita and I walked to Maxwells. A local power company employee gave us a lift for the last few blocks. He does not tell people where he works because of all the power outages. He says the bit problem is people stealing the copper ground wires that protect the system from lightning.

We divide the list into 3 sections and quickly collect the provisions. They called a taxi for us and we were quickly back at the Conch Inn. Someone helped us with the dock cart and loading the supplies aboard.

We had sandwiches for lunch and a squall line passed over, lots of rain and some loud lightning near the marina. I found 2 KB CDs at Iggy Biggy boutique across the road from the Conch Inn and we picked up 3 cases of beer and various bottles of rum to complete our shopping list. We used the VHF to make reservations for steak night at the Jib room. There were rain squalls periodically in the afternoon while we took a siesta. Jim departed at 3 PM. We had a snack around 6:30 and the rain stopped but there were dark clouds all around. We decided to take a cab to the Jib room rather than the dingy. The taxi driver ‘Carl’ took us over and came back later to drive us back.

There was a good sized crowd and a Rake & Scrape music playing at the Jib Room. The food was served buffet style, steak, baked potato, broccoli, rolls and salad. They had a Limbo contest. The little kids had fun with that and also playing musical saws. The limbo guy carried kids and even Holly under the pole. As a finale, he lit the pole on fire and limboed under. Carl drove us home and while we were walking out the dock we realized that our doggy bags were missing. We had put them down while watching the Limbo contest and forgot them. Rita insisted on going back but came back after a few minutes, there were no taxis running this late.

No rain while we were out but it rained periodically during the night.

6/30 Sunday

In the morning we washed and cleaned up the boat. I wanted to clean some cloths. The Conch Inn does not have machines but the Jib Room did. Rita and Cathy came along for the ride in the dingy. When we got there the power was out but the bar was open. We had some drinks and the power came on but someone else was ahead of us at the wash machines. We took our snorkel gear and walked to the Mermaid reef. There were 6 boats anchored there but all the properties around had ‘No Trespassing’ signs. We talked to some bicyclers on the beach and they said it was OK to cross. The snorkeling was great, lots of colorful fish.

Back at the Jib room, I started the washing machine and had a beer. I took the girls back to the boat and returned to the Jib room when the dryer was almost finished. Several boats arrived from Gulf Stream, Holly’s racing friends. I went for a swim in the pool and while swimming I saw Gerry walk past and helped him get his stuff to the boat. There was a party going on at the boat with the new arrivals, lots of nice appetizers. Finally got to the shower and then everyone went swimming in the pool. Dinner was chicken breasts on the BBQ and mashed sweet potatoes and a salad. Lots of rain during the night but I slept through most of it. My bunk and carpet was wet, the hatch has started to leak a bit.

7/1 Monday

Holly’s friend convinced her to go to the clinic for an X-ray of her shoulder and she made an appointment for 11:30. We had bagels and fruit for breakfast, then paid the bill and anchored in the harbor while Rita and Holly went to the clinic. At 12:30 we decided to have lunch. Rita called on the VHF at 12:31, they were next and don’t wait lunch for us. Around 1:30 they called and all was OK, nothing broken and the doctor did not even think an x-ray was necessary. He would never make it in US medicine. I take the dingy in and pick them up at Snappa’s dock. We leave shortly after and sail with just the jib to Man of War. We pick up a white mooring in the south harbor with no name. Rita, Cathy and I motor in and the guy at the marina says someone will come out and collect the mooring fee this evening or in the morning. We walk around a bit but most places are closed. We found the baker but they were sold out. Gerry wanted to come back at 7 AM but hey said it would not be ready until 8. We did find a bag of pretzels that Holly has been looking for in every grocery store so we brought back the treat. Rita drives the dingy back, she wants to do dingy training for new SSSF members.

Had hot dogs and sauerkraut and salad for dinner. Gerry dropped the pot of sauerkraut but saved some of it. The wood in front of the sink split, too much water on the galley surfaces.

7/2 Tuesday

We had a simple breakfast and then Gerry wanted to get fresh bread and I had to pay the mooring fee. On closer inspection, the buoy turned out to have a blue stripe so it belongs to the marina. Cathy cleaned the French press coffee maker at the stern and lost several parts. Everyone tried diving and Gerry recovered one part but the other 2 are still messing.

Holly, Gerry and I dingied in and Gerry went for bread and got several sweet rolls also that they were making for a Boy scout celebration. Holly and I went for fresh fish. We found birthday cards for Cathy (7/2) and Gerry (7/3) and I found a MoW 24oz tumbler. We got a bag of ice and headed back to the boat. It was quite windy so before we left the mooring I put in the 2^nd reef. At the narrow exit channel another boat was coming in so we continued to the north harbor, turned around and headed out before another boat could enter. We raised the main and jib and did 6-7 Kt downwind all day around the Whale to the anchorage between Manjack and Crab Cay. We joined a dozen boats in the anchorage and more kept joining through the day including the other Seawind that I saw in Black Sound a week ago.

Rita, Cathy, Gerry and I made a dingy expedition to see if we could get to Fiddle Key by going east of Crab Cay but the ocean part was too rough. We explored the beach at the south end of Manjack and found a large piece of drift wood and some fresh conch shells. We then went up the mangrove channel in the center of Manjack and meet a few others out exploring. We saw a short mast off to the side and followed a winding side channel to find a fishing boat and a small sailboat anchored in small lagoons surrounded by mangroves. Back at the boat we swam. One large sailboat had a sailing dingy and he sailed around the anchorage. We had shrimp, rice and stir fry vegies for dinner, very good. A rain storm came through with lots of rain and a wind shift. One Gemini cat drifted into Rat Cay and had to wait a few hours for the tide to come in.

7/3 Wednesday

We prepared for the long dingy ride to the Stranded Naked party and left at 10:30. It was a rough ride after rounding the point on Crab Cay. We bailed out as we went. Lots of small power boats and dingys were there already and a few sailboats anchored far out. Two long lines snaked out to the beach from a series of tents. The left one was the food line, 2 Bubba burgers or hot dogs, fries and fixings. They had quite a good assembly line going but it still took a long time go get through the line. Later the line snaked out into the water and it took 2 hours to get through. The second line was for T-shirts and other items. At the far right was the drinks tent with rum punch or Margarita. They were filling cups from pitchers continuously and there was no waiting for the booze. It’s all put on by the owner of Stranded Naked swim ware and volunteers and sponsors Bubba Burgers and Mt Gay rum and the food and drink are free.

We got in line for the food and one by one snuck out and back with drinks. That made the wait more bearable. The cheese burgers were great. Afterwards we went in the water to cool off and meet other SSSF members. They had an easy dingy ride from Green Turtle but will have a hard ride back.

They held a DJ playing music, hoola-hoop contest and a limbo contest and had several give-aways of T-shirts and hats. They eventually ran out of rum and Margarita mix and ended up handing out tequila shooters. Around 3 PM we were ready to leave but could not find Gerry. We walked all over and checked the rafted up boats. We had the DJ announce Gerry birthday and request that he return to the dingy. Finally after several searches, Gerry showed up, he had walked around the other side of the island. The ride back was much easier, down wind. We had snacks and drinks and gave Gerry his birthday card and present and lit a citronella candle for him to blow out.

We had a ‘meeting’ and decided to go to Nippers for July 4 fireworks tomorrow. Gerry volunteered to cook tonight on his birthday, one of the noddle packages he brought and made Linguini and spinach which was well received. The cucumbers and peppers we bought at Maxwell’s went bad, probably frozen and damaged in shipping.

7/4 Thursday

We got a late start and most of the boats had already left. The wind was 20 Kt from the ESE and it was rough. We watched the start of the race. Cathy was not feeling well and we decided to get to land as soon as possible so we stopped at Green Turtle Cay and went in White sound. Rita arranged a slip at Bluff House but when we saw it, it was too difficult to get in to in this wind so we took a mooring from the dive shop. Another boat was anchored just ahead of the mooring and there were storm clouds all around. I stayed on the boat while the crew went in to check with the dive shop and look around. I cleaned the floors and decks, we had tracked a lot of sand aboard. The people from the boat anchored in front came back in their dingy and said that the mooring was reserved for another boat which may be coming back soon. A little later the boat did come back and asked me to move. I called the crew on the VHF and they came back shortly and we found a place to anchor. Shortly after the ‘Stranded Naked’ houseboat entered the harbor and anchored also.

In the afternoon we took the dingy in to the marina and walked over a steep hill to the beach bar where the after race party was held. They had a buffet dinner and for one hour rum drinks were free! They had a band and several times they had give-aways where they threw T-shirts, hats and mugs into the crowd. Later a Junkanoo band came in and paraded through the bar.

Just as we made it back to the boat, fireworks started at the Green Turtle Club and we sat on the front trampolines and watched the display. Just spectacular.

7/5 Friday

Gerry and I went for ice. We had reports that the Whale passage was rough so we waited to go through at low tide when the current against the wind would be less. We set out at 11:30 and it was quite rough. We motored around and made fairly good speed but there was a lot of rocking and rolling. Then we turned towards Treasure Cay and put the jib up and sailed for an hour at 6 Kt to the entrance. Then entrance was narrow but well marked with shallows close by. Rita found the mooring of her friends in a small protected bay.

The party was at a beach club a short walk away. The enormous white powder sand beach was very impressive. The booze was again free for the first hour. Gerry had conch fritters but by the time the rest of us were thinking of food, Holly wanted to go back to the boat and we could not find Gerry. We meet the caretaker for the property where our mooring was at the party and he said someone at the dock had just paid for the mooring. It turned out to be Gerry.

We took holly to the boat and found Gerry. We returned to the beach club but the kitchen was closed so we walked a little further to the marina restaurant, very upscale dining. We had wine, conch fritters, ceasar salad and cracked conch.

It was a quiet night, no rain but the girls were attacked by a few mosquitos.

7/6 Saturday

After breakfast we went in to the Buccaneers Bay condo and meet the caretaker. The girls made phone calls and did the food shopping. Gerry and I looked around the marina, hung out at the pool, looked several places for ice and finally found it at the furthest location. We did get a lift part way back from a couple in a golf cart who were renting a vacation house.

The girls were already back but Rita was running around in the dingy and picked us up. We left the mooring and proceeded out the narrow entrance. There was a little road block at the gas dock with several small power boats waiting to fill up. Outside it was really blowing. I put up the jib and double reefed main. We were doing 6-7 Kt for several hours in steep seas, tacking up wind to Guana Cay. We watched some of the racers cross the finish line and when we got 3 miles from the anchorage, we dropped the sails and motored the rest of the way. The anchorage was packed so we found a place on the outside that was a bit bumpy.

We took the dingy in to Grabbers. ‘Steel Daddy’ was the musician, very good. He played through several rain squalls with tarps draped over the equipment. They had give-aways there they threw T-shirts, mugs and hats into the crowd. We scored some hats and mugs. Gerry joined the frozen T-shirt contest, you had to be the first to put on a t-shirt frozen in a block of ice. He did not win but he got to keep the T-shirt. We ordered appetizers and swam in the pool. Then we returned to the boat and had cheese and crackers and salami. A quiet but a bit rocky night.

7/7 Sunday

We got lots of sand on the boat after last night so we spent an hour cleaning after breakfast. A few boats left but most stayed for the Nippers pig roast. I took a siesta until 11:30 and then we put on swimsuits and took the dingy in to Grabbers.

We lucked out to get transportation right at grabbers, a 6 place golf cart that was taking people to and from Nippers all day. The place was packed but got even more packed as the day went by. We got tokens for the pig roast and drinks at the bar. Gerry went right for the food. We found a table on the upper level near Stan and Debbie from Ryan’s Place. The pig roast was a buffet with roast port, BBQ pork, rice & peas, baked macaroni &cheese, corn, corn bread, cabbage, potato salad, gravy and mixed fruit.

After stuffing ourselves Gerry and Cathy went down to the beach but it was too rough to be fun. We ended up at the pool and had a few more drinks. We learned from Sheila who had just flown in to join Ryan’s Place that Camille was not coming (she changed her mind every other day) after emailing yesterday that she had tickets for today.

We walked down to the local bar ‘Pirates Cove’ at the water front and had their ‘Sunrise’ rum drink, very good. We got the same taxi driver to take us to the Orchid Marina where we were joined by Stan and Debbie. We ordered appetizers and drinks and then started walking back, looking for a lift. We found a local who stopped and drove us to Grabbers. There was a local band playing and we listened to a few tunes before getting in the dingy and returning to the boat.

We had stir fry steak, sweet potatoes, salad with feta dressing, sautéed onion, pepper and mushrooms. Rita bought carrot cake and coconut cake for desert. We watched the sunset while eating dinner. A boat behind us was blowing a conch for sunset. A quite night, the wind dropped and switched to the NE.

7/8 Monday

We had a nice fast sail to Marsh Harbor. I wanted to anchor out but the girls wanted to go back to the dock so we went back to the same dock we had a week ago. The news on tropical storm Chantal was not good so we made plans to head home tomorrow. Stan and Debbie also decided to head back tomorrow.

At the dock we made use of the pool and shower facilities and filled the water tank. We took a taxi to ‘Crossing Bay’ which is a narrow peninsula on the east end of town with the ferry docks and a restaurant. They had a drinks tent, a band and the awards for today’s race. A local had set up a conch salad stand and was chopping up onions and peppers. Behind him was a pickup truck full of conch where another person would remove them from the shell and clean them. He was giving lessons in cleaning conch to a chef from Colorado.

Because Rita and Cathy were leaving tomorrow we wanted a going away dinner. Gerry decided to stay and join the Junkanoo that was setting up. Holly went back to the boat. In the taxi we found out that Wally’s where we wanted to go was closed on Monday so we ended up at ‘Curly Tails’ at our marina. We had a table outside and watched the sunset and had a very good dinner.

7/9 Tuesday

In the morning we filled the spare gas cans. It rained quite a bit. I tried to file a float plan with SVRS but it would not work from my lap top. I went in to the office where they had a PC and it worked fine from there. On the way back I met Rita and Cathy on their way to the airport and said goodbye.

There was a slight break in the weather and we left the dock around 11. We motored up wind past Mat Lowe’s Cay and then sailed to Elbow Cay and Tilloo Cay. The weather was overcast and raining. It looked particularly bad as we passed our previous anchorage half way down Tilloo Cay with high winds and looming storm clouds. I decided to anchor for a while to see if it would blow over. I did not think we could get out of the pass in this weather. After an hour the wind decreased and things looked better so we raised the anchor and started out again. We motored to North Bar Channel and out the pass. It was rough but not nearly as bad as our previous passage of the Whale. Once we motored out a ways we were able to set the double reefed main and jib and made good progress motorsailing south. Once we were passed Cherokee point we could turn a bit west and turn off the engines. At 8 PM we set the watches, 3 hours each, Holly first, then Gerry and then me until we reached home. Around midnight we reached ‘Hole in the Wall’, the south point of Abaco and turned west towards Great Stirrup Cay.

7/10 Wednesday

By morning we were half way to Great Isaac light. The wind had been consistent 15-20Kt ESE with occasional lightning and storm clouds but nothing came too close. Around 10 AM the wind increased and the waves got a lot higher. For a short time we were doing 12-14 Kt and the bows were burying in the waves with spray coming up over the trampolines. I rolled up the jib and things got less crazy. The wind soon decreased and an hour later there was only a light SE breeze so we had to motorsail. The wind remained light for the rest of the trip. We rounded Great Isaac at 6 PM. I took the reefs out of the main but the wind remained light and the extra area did not help much. There were dark clouds and lightning that worried us all the way back but they never came close. At one point when we were in the middle of the Gulf Stream we saw fireworks that appeared to be out in the middle of nowhere. At first I thought they must be from a cruise ship but after consulting the GPS, they lined up with Bimini, 25 miles away, They were for the July 10 Bahamian independence day celebration. Around 3 AM we entered the channel and got to the dock at 4 AM. Holly had her car at the dock and packed up and left. I was not thinking and expected Gerry could give me a ride home. Then Gerry asked if I could give him a ride as his car was at home, not at the dock. So I had to walk home, get my car and then drop Gerry at his house before getting home to sleep at about 5 AM.